Boot and shoe holding appliance.



No. 795,871. PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905. G. A. WATSON.

1 BOOT AND SHOE HOLDING APPLIANCE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1:014. 1902.

' QSHEBTS-SHEET 1.

No. 795,871. PATENTED AUG. 1, 1906.

' G. A. WATSON.

BOOT AND SHOE HOLDING APPLIANCE APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 4, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mime $6,? InI/en Z07" Nirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOOT AND SHOE HOLDING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed November 4:, 1902. Serial No. 130,100.

ll'o ttll whom, it may con/007 12,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. WATSON, of the city of Toronto, in thecounty of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Boot and Shoe Holding Appliances; and Ihereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

This invention relates to that class of boot and shoe holding appliancesdesigned to hold a boot or shoe while being cleaned and polished; andthe object of the invention is to so arrange the apparatus that the toemember will laterally expand and completely fill the toe portion of theboot or shoe during the adjustment of the heel and toe members to clampthe shoe to the holder.

In carrying out the invention I employ a supporting element, to which ishinged an eX- panding toe member, and provide this supporting elementwith an adjustable heel member litted with a locking device to hold itin its adjusted position, as hereinafter more fully set forth, and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1' is a perspective view of the holdingappliance. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the toe member in an invertedposition to show the expanding parts. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofthe holding appliances with the toe member removed and with a portion ofthe sleeve broken away to show the construction of the lever and itstoothed segment.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout thespecification and drawings.

The supporting element consists of a horizontal arm (1,, having at itsfront or outer end a depending arm 6 and along its top edge a rack 0,the front end of the top edge being provided with a recess cl. At theinner or rear end of the horizontal arm a is a depending hinge-pin 6,adapted to enter the socket f of the-hinge member 9, arranged to be madefast to a wall or other supporting medium.

By reference to Fig. l of the drawings it will be noticed that the underside of the horizontal arm a at its junction with the-hingepin a isfitted with a stop it and that a corresponding recess 2' is formedin thesocket f to receive the stop It when the horizontal arm is in itsforwardly-projecting position, the purpose of the stop lb and recess 2'being to rigidly lock the bracket against lateral movement. Movablymounted on the horizontal arm a is the sleeve j, and integrally formedwith the sleeve 3' is the depending arm is for the heel member Z. Journaled in the sleeve ,7' is a toothed segment 2a,. meshing with theteeth of the rack c, and integrally formed with the toothed segment onis a lever 0. Pivotally connected to the sleeve 1' is a pawl p, arrangedto engage the teeth of the rack 0 and lock the sleeve and heel member intheir adjusted position. At the lower end of the depending arm I) is aforwardly-projecting lug g, in the under side of which is a recess 1',and projecting forwardly from the middle of the top of the lug g is thetoe member 25 of the holding appliance. The toe member't consists of anexpanding-wedge u, having an aperture '0 to receive the lug q and ahinge-pin w to enter the recess 1 in the under side of the lug. Theaperture o is of such a shape and size as to allow of the entrancetherein of the lug q when the toe member 6 has been turned into asubstantially vertical position against the depending arm 6, the toemember when lowered into the horizontal position shown inFig. 1 engagingthe front end of the lug. At the sides of the expanding-wedge u are theexpandible side pieces 60, provided with inwardly-directed flanges y,having longitudinal slots .2, through which pass the guidepins 0',connecting the expanding-wedge a to a guide-plate 6, located below theflange y to support the side pieces a: and hold them relatively to theex pandingwedge,and formed in the flanges y are grooves y to receive theflanges of the expanding-wedge a and guide the movement of the sidepieces to when moving into their expanded or contracted position.

In the use of the invention the toe member is inserted into the toe ofthe boot or shoe and turned into any position between the horizontalposition shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and a vertical positionsubstantially parallel with the depending arm 6, the hinging of the toemember to the arm in the manner above described providing an anklemotion for the toe member to facilitate its entry into the boot or shoe,the heel member at this time being placed contiguous to the dependingarm 6 to enter the boot or shoe concurrently with the toe member.

tered the boot or shoe, the heel member is ad justed relatively thereto,and the lever is turned rearwardly, as indicated by arrow, to mpve theheel member longitudinally and expand it against the heel of the boot orshoe, such expansion causing the toe and heel mem- VVhen the toe memberhas enbers to rigidly grip the same. To further prevent the displacementof the boot or shoe from the toe and heel members, the laces are crossedand tied in the recess (Z with sufficient tension to resist the downwardpolishing pressure on and prevent the boot or shoe being forced from theholding appliance.

The toe member of the holding appliance expands as it enters the toe ofthe boot or shoe and completely fills it to remove the creases thereinand enable it to be properly cleaned and polished.

By turning the lever 0 forwardly a sufficient distance the teeth of thesegment will be disengaged from the rack and the sleeve j, with itsdepending arm 7r, may be moved freely on the horizontal arm a to anydesired position.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, anddesire to secure. by Letters Patent, is-

.1. In a boot and shoe holding appliance, the combination of asupporting element, consisting of a horizontal arm having a dependingarm connected thereto, provided at its end with a forwardly-projectinglug, having a recess on its under side, and a toe-engaging memberprovided with an aperture to receive the lug on the depending arm, and ahinge-pin to engage the recess on the under side of the lug, saidtoe-engaging member comprising a pair of laterally-adjustable sidepieces, a sleeve movable on the horizontal m ember toward and away fromthe depending arm connected to the horizontal arm, provided with adepending arm having a heel-engaging member thereon, and means forlocking the sleeve on the horizontal arm.

2. In aboot and shoe holding appliance, the combination of a supportingelement, consisting of a horizontal arm having a depending arm connectedthereto provided at its end with a forwardly-projecting lug having arecess on its under side, and a toe-engaging member comprising a wedgeand a pair of laterallyadjustable side pieces engaging the wedge andmovable thereon, the wedge being provided With an aperture to receivethe lug on the depending arm and a hinge-pin to engage the recess on theunder side of the lug, a sleeve movable on the horizontal arm toward andaway from .the depending arm, provided with a depending arm having aheel-engaging member thereon, and means for locking the sleeve on thehorizontal arm.

Toronto, September 29, 1902.

GEO. A. WATSON.

In presence of L. F. BROOK, C. H. Riel-ms.

